Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 589: Chapter 301: Sun Kui’s Terror_3

A few nights later, Zhao Yao appeared in Mr. Meng’s study.

Recalling the mysterious manner of his journey, Zhao Yao couldn’t help but twitch his mouth. Was he unable to see people, or what was it, to actually be... Thinking about what happened on the way to the Imperial College, Zhao Yao felt it was hard to express.

Mr. Meng first apologized to Zhao Yao, because he wanted to see him, but he knew Zhao Yao did not want to be noticed by others, so he could only meet him stealthily.

Zhao Yao was very surprised at how Mr. Meng knew about this matter.

Mr. Meng did not answer him directly, but told him that the reason his venerable self came to the capital to lecture was partly to see him.

After hearing Mr. Meng’s purpose for coming to the capital to lecture, Zhao Yao was stunned. He couldn’t believe that part of the reason Mr. Meng came to lecture in the capital was because of him. What virtue or ability did he have?!

He asked Mr. Meng, puzzled and confused, why he wanted to see him.

Mr. Meng said he had benefited the people, just as he said when they first met. Of course, Mr. Meng also said he heard that Zhao Yao was not favored, afraid that the highly talented tenth Prince might be bullied, so he specially came to the capital to see him.

After hearing Mr. Meng’s true reason for seeing him, Zhao Yao was both shocked, moved, and honored.

He hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply to Mr. Meng, thanking him for going through such pains for him.

Mr. Meng quickly helped Zhao Yao up and then apologized to him. Because previously meeting him seemed to have caused him some trouble.

Seeing Mr. Meng’s self-reproachful and guilty expression, Zhao Yao quickly comforted him, saying: "You are overthinking; I’m fine."

"Really okay?" Mr. Meng still was not entirely at ease.

"I’m fine, look at me, I’m still well and good." Zhao Yao laughed and told Mr. Meng, "Neither my royal brothers nor the ministers gave me a second look just because you met me. In their eyes, I’m still an unfavored prince." His disguise, unexpectedly, was easily seen through by Mr. Meng. Ah, clever people really have sharp eyes.

Hearing Zhao Yao say this, Mr. Meng felt relieved but at the same time pained for Zhao Yao and felt injustice for him.

"Tenth Prince, before coming to the capital, I once thought of taking you as my disciple, so that you would be valued by the emperor, not bullied, and not have your talents buried. I also thought of taking you with me, to let you do what you want. However, now I know you don’t need me to do so."

"Why are you so good to me?" just because he made those things?

"Tenth Prince, you are an exceptionally talented person, what you have made not only benefits the people of the Great Zhou but will also bless future generations." Mr. Meng’s expression was very serious, "Before coming to the capital, I worried that your talents might be buried, and you wouldn’t be able to make things benefiting the people anymore."

Zhao Yao felt a bit embarrassed by Mr. Meng’s words, scratched his face, and said: "I just did what I should do, not as great as you said."

Seeing Zhao Yao unaware of his own worth, Mr. Meng suddenly understood why the emperor pretended to not favor him.

"Tenth Prince, I wonder if there is anything I can do to help you?" Since the tenth Prince doesn’t think what he accomplished is great, there’s no need to emphasize further.

Suddenly being asked like this by Mr. Meng, Zhao Yao was a little stunned. After thinking for a moment, he said: "Do you have a lot of books with annotations in them?"

Mr. Meng seemed unsurprised by Zhao Yao’s question, smiling kindly, and said: "Every book of mine is meticulously annotated."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yao’s eyes brightened instantly.

"Then could you please have these books printed?"

"Tenth Prince, you wish to have my books?" Mr. Meng asked, "May I know why you want my books?"

Zhao Yao candidly said: "I want to take them to my fief in the future, for the people of my fief to read your books."

Hearing Zhao Yao’s answer, Mr. Meng was both surprised and not surprised at the same time.

"I know the books you annotated are worth a fortune, if you are reluctant..."

Mr. Meng interrupted Zhao Yao, smiling, and said: "I am not reluctant. I originally planned to donate my books to the court. Since you want them, tenth Prince, I’ll have them printed."

"Thank you very much." Zhao Yao stood up again and saluted Mr. Meng.

Mr. Meng helped Zhao Yao up once more, kindly saying: "Tenth Prince, no need for so much courtesy."

Following this, Mr. Meng talked with Zhao Yao about some issues in the countryside. He spoke about the things he saw, discovered, and worried about, things he hadn’t mentioned when chatting with the emperor previously.

Zhao Yao listened very intently and remembered everything by heart.

Mr. Meng, seeing Zhao Yao listening attentively, smiled with satisfaction.

The elder and the younger talked at length about livelihood issues, their conversation very engaging.

Mr. Meng did not talk too long with Zhao Yao; before Zhao Yao left, he gave Zhao Yao a sundial jade pendant. This jade pendant was known to those who knew Mr. Meng. If Zhao Yao ever needed help in the future, he could use this jade pendant to seek assistance. Anyone familiar with or recognizing this jade pendant would help him.

Zhao Yao was well aware of the importance of this sundial jade pendant and was quick to refuse, but Mr. Meng insisted, so he could only accept it.

Mr. Meng did not say much more because he knew that things wouldn’t happen to Zhao Yao as he feared.

After Zhao Yao left, the emperor appeared in Mr. Meng’s study.

"Do you hold little ten in such high regard?" Clearly, the emperor had already learned about Mr. Meng giving Zhao Yao the sundial jade pendant.

Mr. Meng said meaningfully: "Just like you."

The emperor, hearing this, let out a soft laugh, then asked: "Did you see something when you first met little ten?"

Mr. Meng firmly said: "A peaceful and prosperous age!"

The emperor thought: Just as expected!

Seeing the emperor’s indifferent manner, Mr. Meng knew the emperor probably already knew about the matter.

"It seems, Your Majesty, you knew."

"An old Taoist once told me." The emperor recounted the words an old Taoist had once told him to Mr. Meng.

Mr. Meng wholeheartedly agreed with the old Taoist’s words.

The emperor did not chat with Mr. Meng for long, quickly returning to the palace. However, before leaving, he instructed Minister Li to assist Mr. Meng in printing the books.

Mr. Meng planned to print the content of his lectures during his stay before leaving the capital and distribute them to the scholars. This was a great boon for the scholars of the capital.

Before Mr. Meng left the capital, news of the killing of the Yuan family’s eldest legitimate son and second legitimate son reached the capital. As Zhao Yao expected, it caused a huge stir in the capital, and of course, an uproar in the court.

The successive deaths of two outstanding legitimate sons dealt a huge blow to the Marquis Jingyang’s Mansion. Upon receiving news of the eldest legitimate son also being killed in the Western Regions, the Marquis Jingyang fainted directly. After waking from unconsciousness, he fell ill, and although he did not suffer a stroke, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Nonetheless, his illness added to the Yuan family’s woes.

For the deaths of the two legitimate sons, the Yuan family could not request the emperor’s investigation. They could only claim that the two sons fell at the hands of bandits in the Western Regions.

If they requested the emperor to investigate, their collusion with the Xiongnu’s Right Virtuous King would be uncovered, and then the Yuan family would face extermination.

Duke Zhen Country Mansion, the Wang Family, and the Xun Family all felt there was something strange about the deaths of the Yuan family’s two sons and couldn’t believe they just simply died by the bandits’ knives in the Western Regions. However, if this wasn’t the case, what was the true cause of the Yuan brothers’ deaths, and why did the Yuan family refuse the emperor’s arrangement?

Could the deaths of the Yuan family’s sons be related to the emperor?

Highly unlikely, for it wasn’t Yuan family’s turn for now.

For, the Yuan family wasn’t significant enough for the emperor to deal with first.

The deaths of the Yuan family’s two sons caused other noble families in the capital to start feeling uneasy and afraid.